Automatic starting means for printing and/or computing machines



Nov. 12, 1935. O J. SUNDSTRAND 2,020,664

" AUTOMATIC STARTING MEANS FOR PRINTING AND/OR COMPUTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 18, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l N o NE Nb Hf, Q. NW a O a Q \n R AUTOMATIC STARTING MEANS-FOR PRINTING AND/OR COMPUTING MACHINES Filed NOV. 18, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 12, 3 o. J. SUNDSTRAND 2,020,664

AUTOMATIC STARTING MEANS FOR PRINTING AND/OR COMPUTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 18, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 12, 1935' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC STARTING MEANS FOR PRmT- ING AND/OR COMPUTING MACHINES Delaware Application November 18, 1929, Serial No. 407,929

8 Claims.

This invention relates to printing and computing machines having a laterally movable paper carriage.

The object of the present invention, generally stated, is to provide automatic means under the control of the paper carriage for causing the machine to perform a cycle of operations.

' In doing bookkeeping by means of a cross-tabulating adding and/or subtracting machine there are one or more total positions of the paper carriage. If the carriage supports both a ledger sheet and a statement there may be three total positions.

In most types of machines it is necessary or desirable to take a spacing stroke prior to the printing of a total.

A specific object of the present invention is to obviate the necessity .for the operator to depress the motor bar to effect the blank or spacing operation and the total-taking operation. In the present embodiment of the invention, means is provided which is under the control of the paper carriage so that when the paper carriage reaches the position where the spacing stroke should be taken, the spacing stroke is taken automatically, and when the carriage moves from the spacingstroke position to the total-taking position the machine is again automatically operated to print the total and, if desired, clear the totalizer.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmental right-hand side elevation showing a mechanism embodying the features of my invention. In this view the main rock shaft of the machine is in its initial position.

2 is a fragmental rear elevation of certain parts in the same position as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts in a different position.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the parts in a different position.

Fig. 5 is generally similar to Fig. 1, but shows the parts in the position occupied when the main rock shaft of the machine is at the forward end of its oscillation.

The invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine of the type disclosed in French Patent No. 625,678 issued to The Sundstrand Corporation, and in my application Serial No. 118,628,

filed June 26, 1926, but it should be understood that the invention is not necessarily restricted to use in machines of this character.

In the. embodiment of the invention herein shown there is associated with the paper carriage i (Fig. 4) tabulating means consisting of a control plate 2 which is pivoted at its forward edge so that it may be tilted on the axis 3, as more fully described in said application Serial No. 118,628. When in its normal or lower position, the rear edge of the control plate 2 rests upon an antifriction roller 4 which is mounted on a 5 housing 5 that is fixed in the frame of the machine below the path of travel of the control plate. In this housing are certain escapement devices, together with devices arranged to control various mechanisms of the machine. The devices re- 10 ferred to coact with stops on the controlplate. Said devices and stops are omitted from the present drawings, but are fully disclosed in the before-mentioned French patent and United States application.

The machine is arranged to be driven by an electric motor (not shown) which is controlled by means including a motor bar 6 and a. plunger 1 arranged to be depressed by said motor bar. A

coiled contractile spring 8 tends to depress the 20 plunger 1 and thus cause the machine to perform a cycle of operations. Said spring is anchored at 8 and is attached to a link III which is guided for approximately horizontal movement. The front end of the link 10 is pivoted at 25 l to a lever l2 which is pivoted at I! in the machine frame. The upper end of the lever i2 overlies a pin II on the plunger I. It will be seen that when the spring 8 is free to act, the plunger 1 will be depressed tostart the machine. The 30 spring 8 is normally restrained by'means to be now described.

An arm'l5 ispivotedin the machine frame at l6, and is connected to the link i0 through the medium of a link l1. I8 is a latch lever pivoted 35 on the housing 5 at IS, the lower end of the latch lever being slidable in a slotted guide. 20. The lower end of the latch lever is adapted to lie directly behind the upper end of the arm l5 and thus restrain the spring 8 as shown in Fig. 1. The slotted guide 20 prevents the pressure of the arm i5 from laterally displacing the latch lever l8. A coiled contractile spring 2| tends to swing the latch lever into obstructing relation to the arm IS. The action of the spring 2i is limited by engagement of a lug 22 on the latch lever with a stop 23 on the housing 5. 1 A lug 24 on the latch lever extends upwardlyinto position to be en- I gaged by a pin 25 on the rear edge of the control plate 2. One such pin 25 is located on the con- 5 trol plate in each position corresponding to the positions wherein the machine is to be automatically put through a. cycle of operations. It

will be seen that when a pin 25.engages the lug arm I5, as shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the spring 8 starts the machine.

Means is provided for restoring the arm ii to its latched position in order that the machine shall stop at the end of the cycle of operations. The means herein shown for this purpose includes a lever 28 which corresponds to the lever numbered 1057 in my application Serial No. 118,- 628. The lever 26 is swung forward into the positiori shown in Fig. 5 during the forward stroke of the main rock shaft 21 of the machine, and is swung rearwardly into the'position shown in Fig.

l in the return stroke of said rock shaft. The lever 26 carries a pin 28 which is arranged to engage a shoulder 29 on the link l8 and thus push said link forward so as to withdraw the lever l2 from the pin l4, and swing the lever into a position in front of the latch lever l8. In the return stroke of the main rock shaft 21, the pin 28 moves away from the shoulder 28 and allows the spring 8 to place the arm l5 against the latch lever I8.

As explained in said French patent, at the be ginning of the return stroke of the rock shaft 21, the escapement mechanism tilts the control plate 2 upwardly to clear the control devices in the housing 5, whereupon the latch lever l8 springs behind the arm I5, and the carriage moves leftward into the next columnar position. It is possible that the carriage may reach such position before the machine has completed the cycle of operations. If there is a pin 25 corresponding to the next columnar position of the carriage, the latch i 8 will be released, thereby starting a new cycle of the machine prior to the completion of the previous cycle. The starting lever I! should be blocked to prevent such premature starting. I therefore provide the means to be now described. Referring to Fig. l, 38 is a latch lever pivoted in the machine frame at 3| and adapted to overlie a lug 32 on the lever H. A coiledcontractile spring 33 stretched between the levers I 2 and 38 tends to swing the lever 38 into podtion above the lug 32 and thus prevent the'lever l2 from depressing the plunger I. The latch lever 38 has an arm 34 that underlies a pin 38 on one end of a lever 38 pivoted-at 31. A coiled contractile spring 38 tends to swingthe lever 38 in the direction to disengage the latchlever 38 from the lug 32. The spring 33 has greater effective strength than the spring 33.

An arm 38 fixed upon the main rock shaft 21 carries a stud 48. In the forward stroke of the rock shaft 21 the stud (I is carried into engagement with the upper edge I of the rear arm of the lever 36, thus swinging the lever in the direction to lift the pin 38 and thus permit the spring 33 to swing the latch lever 38 into effective position above the lug 32, the ing 32 being lowered through the action of the stud 28. The lever 38 is retained in the position just described until near the end of the retina stroke of the rock shaft 21 by means of a detent slide 42 which is guided to slide on the studs 43. The forward end of the detent slide "carries a squared stud 44 adapted to overlie the rear end of the edge I, as shown in Fig. 5. when the detent slide 42 is in its rear position the stud l4 overlies a "lug 45 on the lever 38 and thus determines the normal position of the lever 38, the latch lever 38 and the plunger I, as shown in Fig. 4. The detent slide 42 is moved into and out of its eifective or forward position by means of an arm 48 pivoted in the machine frame at 81, said arm bearing against the rear end of the detent slide. A

effective position. A similar spring 48 stretched between the detent slide and the arm 48 causes the detent slide to follow the arm 48 when the latter is swung rearwardly. On the lower end of the arm 48 is a lug 88 which is arranged to be engaged by the stud 40 near the end of the return stroke of the main rock shaft 21, whereby the arm 48 and the detent slide 42 are restored in to their rear position, the lever 38 being thereby released to the action of the spring 38, and the latch lever 38 being thus withdrawn from the lug 82. Consequently, if the control plate 2 is equipped with a pin 28 for the next columnar 15 position, the spring 8 will be allowed to depress the plunger 1 to start the machine.

On the upper end of the plunger 1 is 9. lug II that overlies the pin 38 on the lever 38. When the stud 44 overlies the edge 4|, as shown in Fig. 5, the plunger 1 is held elevated, thus preventing the machine from being started by man ual depression of the motor bar 8.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a very simple and effective means for automatically causing an adding and/or subtracting machine to perform the cycle of operations required for the "spacing stroke" or for the printing of a total and/or the clearing of the totalizer or for the printing and/or accumulation of a repeat item.

In the presentembodiment of the machine, the power for starting the machine for a cycle of operations is furnished by the spring 8, thus relieving the carriage-moving spring (not shown) of the necessity of supplying such power. The

tension of the spring 8 is restored to its proper I degree by the motor operating through the lever I 28 l claim as my invention: 1. The combination of a main rock shaft, a

. laterally movable paper carriage, a starting "lever from the path of movement of said member, means actuated during the forward stroke of the main rock shaft for moving said link against the influence of the flrst-nfentioned spring, a latch to detain the first lever in the inoperative position to which it is moved by the last-mentioned means, means actuated in the forward stroke of themain rock shaft to permit said latch to become effective, and means actuated in the return stroke of the main rock shaft for withdrawing said latch; 2.The combination of a main rock shaft,

a laterally movable paper w'rilge, means, aspring for actuating the starting means, as a latch lever to restrain said spring, means on thepapercarrlagetoengagesaidlatchleverupon, ,thearrivalqfthecarriageina certaincolmnnar starting means, and means eifective to disable said link to prevent operation of said starting means, said last mentioned means including a latch lever normally urged into position to defeat operation of said starting means, a lever normally tending to disable said latch lever, an arm on said rock shaft effective to move said last mentioned lever to ineffective position, a detent operable to retain said last mentioned lever in ineffective position, and means on said arm to move said detent out of restraining position with respect to said lever at the conclusion of the return stroke of said rock shaft.

4. In a motor driven computing machine, the combination of a starting element to inaugurate a cycle of operations, a rock shaft, a spring actuated link to initiate movement of said element, a latch to restrain said link, a lever which is spring-actuated to defeat operation of said latch during the first part of a cycle of operations, an arm on said rock shaft to render said lever ineffective intermediate the beginning and ending of a cycle of operations, and means, acting after such operation of the arm, to hold the lever ineffective, said means being disabled by said arm on the completion of the cycle.

5. In a motor driven computing machine, the combination of a starting element to inaugurate a cycle of operations, a spring actuated link tending to operate said starting element, a normally ineffective latch to prevent operation of said spring actuated link, and means including a lever, a detent slide, and a pivoted arm operable to prevent actuation of said starting means by said link prior to the conclusion of a complete cyclic operation of the machine.

6. In a motor driven computing machine, the combination of means tending to start the machine for the performance of a cycle of operations, a latch to restrain said means after the starting of a cycle of operations, a rock shaft, 5

an arm on said rock shaft, a lever normally in position to disable said latch but movable to latch-enabling position, a detent effective to restrain said last mentioned lever in latch-enablin position, and means on said arm effective at the l0 beginning of the performance of a cycle of operations to condition said lever to enable said latch and to actuate said detent at the conclusion of a cycle of operations to permit restoration of said latch to ineifective position.

'7. A motor-driven computing machine having, in combination, a manually-operable starting element to inaugurate a cycle of operations, means for automatically operating said element, a main rock shaft, and means actuated by said shaft to disable said automatic means during a. portion of a cycle, said means also preventing manual operation of said starting element during said portion of a cycle.

8. A motor-driven computing machine having, in combination, a manually-operable starting element to inaugurate a cycle of operations, means for automatically operating said element,

a main rock shaft, an arm on said shaft, and means controlled by said arm and effective on the forward stroke thereof for disabling said automatic means and for preventing manual operation of said starting element, said means being controlled by said am and eifective near the end of the return stroke of the arm for reenabling said automatic means and for permitting manual operation of said starting element.

OSCAR J. SUNDSTRAND. 

